Teenage killer of Stockton's Shane Tunney back behind bars

Jake Douglas, who was jailed for four and a half years for his role in the killing of Shane Tunney in 2016, was recalled on licence following the crash in May as he was sentenced to 20 months in prison for a string of burglaries in July last year.

Now the 23-year-old can add another 12-months to his ‘unenviable’ record after admitting dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and no insurance following a crash on May 6.

Judge Timothy Stead said: “You have a lengthening record of offences, you have been subject of significant sentences in the past – 20 months for offences of burglary and dangerous driving.

"The dangerous driving involved on that occasion was such that you failed to stop for police officers, fled in a vehicle and were ultimately apprehended."

Jake Douglas

Dealing with the latest offence, the Judge added: "You were seen by a police officer to mount the kerb and drive along a pavement in Stockton causing pedestrians to scatter in order to avoid being struck by you."

Douglas, of David Road, Stockton, was also banned from driving for 30 months.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said Douglas mounted the kerb in a Ford Focus before accelerating along the footpath causing members of the public to jump to safety.

She added: "The defendant crashed the vehicle into roadside railings just adjacent to a pedestrian crossing – mercifully nobody was using the crossing at the time."

Nicci Horton, in mitigation, said her client had an 'unenviable' start to life but had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and deserved full credit for doing so.

She added: "He hasn't had the best start in life but hopefully he will make some measure of improvement. This particular offence is born out of stupidity."

When he was 18, Douglas was sentenced to four-and-a-half years for Mr Tunney's manslaughter and for assaulting his friend Anthony Kirk on Norton High Street on June 27, 2015.

Shane Tunney

Last year, he admitted carrying out five burglaries along with fraud, theft, dangerous driving and driving without a licence.

He was jailed for two years by Judge Paul Watson QC after hearing how lockdown had 'got on top of him'.

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